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Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Urothelial Carcinomas

  • Genitourinary Cancers (DP Petrylak and JW Kim, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Oncology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common malignancy with an urgent need for more effective and less toxic treatment strategies. Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) represents a novel therapeutic approach, which combines the high specificity of monoclonal antibodies covalently linked with highly active cytotoxic agents. UC is an appropriate candidate for these drugs, as it expresses unique cell surface antigens that allow for specific targeting of these cells. We hereby present a review of the current literature and future perspectives of ADC treatment in early-stage and metastatic UC.

Recent Findings

Several ADCs are in advanced stages of development and approval, such as intravesical oportuzumab monatox in BCG-refractory non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and enfortumab vedotin and sacituzumab govitecan in pretreated metastatic UC. Other agents are in earlier stages of development, including some promising anti-Her2 agents. The favorable toxicity profile of these agents led to several combination strategies, especially with checkpoint inhibitors.

Summary

In light of the encouraging results presented in this review and the recent FDA approval of enfortumab vedotin, ADCs will likely be incorporated in the management of UC in the near future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, Genitourinary Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave, New York, NY, USA

    Michal Sarfaty & Jonathan E. Rosenberg

  2. Oncology Department, Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva, Israel

    Michal Sarfaty

  3. Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Michal Sarfaty

  4. Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Jonathan E. Rosenberg

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Correspondence to Michal Sarfaty or Jonathan E. Rosenberg.

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Conflict of Interest

Michal Sarfaty has received compensation for service (Honoraria) from Merck, Novartis and Roche. Jonathan E. Rosenberg has received research funding from Roche/Genentech and Novartis; compensation for service as a consultant from Adicet Bio, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BioClin/Rainier Therapeutics, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Fortress Biotech, Inovio, Merck, Mirati Therapeutics, EMD-Serono, QED Therapeutics, Roche/Genentech, Sanofi, Seattle Genetics, Sensei Biotherapeutics, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Medscape, Pharmacyclics, and Janssen; owns stock in Merck; has institutional financial interests (trial funding) in Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Mirati Therapeutics, Roche/Genentech, Seattle Genetics, and OncoGenex; and has received royalties from UpToDate.

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Sarfaty, M., Rosenberg, J.E. Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Urothelial Carcinomas. Curr Oncol Rep 22, 13 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-020-0879-y

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